


The Road Home, Part 2

by Seasider



Series: The Road Home [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Drama, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Humor, Planet Sith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:15:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28658583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seasider/pseuds/Seasider
Summary: Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader (aka Anakin Skywalker) travel to their home planet of Sith, where Luke learns he is heir to the planet itself, Anakin learns more about his son, and Luke faces mysterious relationships with nature and people.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Luke Skywalker, Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader
Series: The Road Home [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978807
Kudos: 12





	The Road Home, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Anakin arrive on Sith, and Luke has an unexpected change.

His life had changed so much in a few years. Being whisked from Tatooine and thrown into the adventure of a lifetime would have been the ultimate experience for anyone. But now-- Ah, now he had a father, the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith, and he, Luke Skywalker, farmboy and Force-user, was going to Sith! It was like being invited into heaven or hell. Sith. A word used as a curse and a threat. A word that was synonymous with evil. Yet the name Vader also meant evil to the peoples of the galaxy, but from his enraptured eyes, he saw no evil in the man. Even their philosophies were not so different. It must be that Palpatine was the Evil One, and that his aura had contaminated everyone's perception of Vader. Leia would call him naive, but he could believe such a thing. He had been inside his father's soul, their spirits had been linked--he knew the truth and had felt the love.

Luke stared at the stars, never tiring of the sight. Their journey through hyperspace had been long, and it was a relief to be safely through. The star system outside his father's craft was unfamiliar. "Where are we?"

"Nearing the Outer Rim. This area is charted but Sith does not appear on any maps." 

"That's what Chewie said. Is it cloaked?"

"Not exactly. However, no one but a Sith can see it."

He looked at his father. This was more than a new world he was approaching; it would be a whole new way of thinking. "How will I understand everything?"

"You will. After you have been on Sith, you will just...understand." There was a lightness in Vader's voice. "You're happy."

"I've been too long away from Home. I was traveling there when the Alliance droid team shot me down." 

He twisted in the copilot's seat. "Does it really affect you to be away?"

Vader laughed. "Indeed it does. You will see the difference in both of us after a few days." 

"Days, hmm?"

"Days. When we arrive, we will be left alone, unvisited and unwanted for three standard days in order that we may Rest and recover from the influences of Outside. Then we may rejoin the population." 

Luke drew back. "That's a little weird. You mean we'll be outcasts?"

"Not precisely. It takes three days for our inner selves to adjust."

A small wave of fear shuddered through him. This was so unknown, so strange. Would he have the courage to face it? 

"Do not worry, young one. Your fear will pass once we arrive Home."

"Will it?" he asked wistfully. He realized his emotions were spiraling downward again, and he struggled to regain control of them. "I hope so."

Vader didn't reply, his attention focused on a strange, empty area in space. Luke stared at the blackness and saw a shape begin to shimmer and form into a ball. He drew a sharp breath. "Is that it?"

"That is Sith."

The ball glowed in jewel tones, blue and green and hints of gold that pulsated and grew. Luke had never seen anything remotely comparable to the sight now unfolding before him. The planet shimmered, like a single star seen from far away. It twinkled, it winked, it beckoned to him in a manner he could not describe. He leaned forward, lips parting eagerly. Home. Yes. This was Home. He could feel it. His eyes brimmed with tears of elation as it loomed closer, reaching out for him with a feeling that embraced his mind and soul.

The blue areas were seas, vast oceans that were serene and tranquil. Green covered the land areas, broken only by dots of white-capped mountains. And gold-- there was gold everywhere, sparkling off tall trees, dazzling the roofs of dwellings, glinting off the great oceans. By the time Vader brought their craft down for a smooth landing on a small, flat field, Luke was trembling with emotion. He felt his father's excitement, read it in the stillness that surrounded the large body once the ship's engines were shut down. Neither of them spoke for several minutes. Then Vader turned to him.

"You are Home, my son." His voice was joyous. "We're both Home."

Luke wished he could see the expression behind the black mask. Vader stripped off his leather gauntlets and tossed them aside. His pale hands made a strange contrast to the darkness of his garb. "Come."

He rose, heart beating so fast that he wondered if it would burst. He followed his father down the ramp and came to a sudden halt. All he could see was land. Rolling emerald hills splashed with a myriad of colorful wildflowers, tall trees, short trees--so different from Tatooine's barrenness, so dreamlike! "Is it real?" he breathed.

"As real as anything can be." Vader grabbed at his arm with the almost impatient tug of a child. "Come along."

With a grin, he followed. On the other side of their ship, the land sloped slightly upwards to a magnificent, sprawling structure built of rocks, peeking up over vine-covered walls. Luke bounded forward. "Is this our home?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes."

He knew it, recognized it somehow through that tumult of wild feelings that cascaded inside him. This was it, he should have grown up here! He should have climbed these trees and slid down that steep path and fallen off those walls a hundred times. He should have played Sith-games with other Sith-children, he should have dreamed Sith-dreams and cried Sith-tears. Someone had cheated him, someone had stolen him away from his life--his mother? With a touch of sadness, he pushed away the question. He would probably never know why she had hidden him, or even who she had been. It would have to be enough that he was here, now, finally Home.

A lean man burst through the arched entry in the wall, running to meet them. "My Lord!" he called with obvious delight. Vader removed his helmet, lifted the mask from his face. He handed them to the man.

Luke gaped at him. _What—?_

 _I do not need artificial enhancements here,_ Vader Sent in reassurance.

"Alin. It's good to be Home."

The man studied Vader critically. "You look like hell. You've been away too long, Lord." A frown marred his strong face, crinkled lines around eyes that were pale grey.

Luke giggled at the servant's familiarity. The man focused on him. "And who is this?" he asked, his brow furrowing in puzzled concentration. "Not Sith...and yet…."

"Sith," Vader confirmed. "But away his entire life. Alin, this is my son, Luke Skywalker. Luke, this is Alin Lightshiner."

"Son!" Alin exclaimed before Luke could utter a word of greeting. _"Son!_ Anakin-- Lord-- I'd given up hope--" He pumped Luke's hand, then pulled him into a fierce, quick hug. "Welcome, young lord! You don't know how excited everyone will be--! Laark will-- Oh, My Lord!" He turned to Vader again and grabbed him with equal passion. "A son, an heir! I must know all! Where has he been? Why wasn't he born here? Where is his mother?"

"In time, Alin, all in time. For now, the journey has been extended and, as you say, we have been away too long."

"Yes. Forgive me. But the surprise--" Alin assumed a brisk demeanor. "Come, come, you must be fed before you begin your Rest. Ah, young one, in three days you will be as good as new."

"New?" Luke echoed.

"Better than you have ever been," Alin corrected himself. "Where were you raised?" 

"Tatooine."

"Tat-- Someone should be executed for that."

"Someone was," Vader said dryly. "The two who reared him."

Luke flinched. His father looked down at him. "Do not regret it. They were not good to you." 

"They raised me."

"Lighten up, Lord," Alin interjected. "Better that he was taken in than left alone to make his own way on such a harsh planet. Forget your bad memories, young lord. You are Home. That is all that matters."

He felt as though his breath had been taken away. If all Sith were as overwhelming as his father and Alin-- Luke grinned and half-skipped a few steps as he followed the older men into the house.

This was going to be fun!

# # #

By the end of the third day, his son was chafing from the restriction of remaining indoors. Anakin Skywalker smiled as he watched Luke pace restlessly, pausing every few seconds to stare out a different window.

"When can we go out?"

"This evening."

"Why do we have to wait until then?" His son crossed the room and sat at his feet, staring up at him with ill-concealed amazement. Luke's astonishment over his ability to rid himself of the cumbersome life support equipment still amused him. Soon enough the boy would learn that on Sith even the greatest miracles were commonplace.

"You look so different."

"Thank you, I think."

Luke grinned. "I mean...it's nice to see your whole face. And your hair's so… long. But," he added falteringly, "you're different in another way. You look… younger, I guess, than you did at the base. Or... happier? Handsome. I don't know. You sort of… shine. Does that sound stupid?"

He stifled an impatient sigh. How had Owen Lars pounded the ridiculous sentiment into the boy's head that any of his words might be stupid? "You are quite correct." It was close enough to the end of Rest that he could lift the edict regarding mirrors. "Come with me."

In his own spacious suite, he unlocked the tall doors that protected a corner of the room. Light bounced off the triple mirrors installed there, blinding them for a moment with its glare. "Examine yourself," Anakin commanded gently. "You are nearly Rested."

Luke gave him a very strange look, then walked slowly toward the mirrors. For a moment, his eyes expressed a wild kind of panic, and he clutched his own arms as if holding himself in a protective embrace. Then he moved close to the glass and stared, one hand reaching out to touch his reflection.

A smile brushed Anakin's lips. His child was beautiful, as was fitting. He'd only mated with women who were lovely, just in case an offspring was produced. Luke's skin was molten, dipped with gold, and his pale hair appeared touched with the light of Sith's huge moon. The brief taped footage he'd seen when his son had rescued the princess from the Death Star had given him a hint of the child's identity from the tanned skin and sun-bleached hair; now it was confirmed. He was a true Sith prince, a fitting heir to the title of Sith Lord. As handsome as his father and grandfather before him.

Luke swallowed audibly. "Is this...me?"

Anakin threw back his head and laughed. "Indeed it is, my young one. This is you as you truly are, free of the Outside, free of space decay."

He ran his fingers along the image of his face. “Do I look like this to other people?”

“Of course. Why would you ask such a thing? Did you think you would magically change back when someone stares at you?”

“Why not? I just magically changed into this!” He leaned forward until his nose nearly touched the mirror. “It doesn’t seem possible. Will I still look this way when I leave Sith?" 

"For awhile. The restoration will fade. Your appearance is dependent upon how often you return Home."

Luke shook his head, but couldn't tear his gaze away from himself. "This is so weird. It's… spooky. How can I look so different? Am I a different person?"

"You will learn the answers to all your questions in--"

"In time, I know. I must learn patience." The boy turned around and beamed at him. "Sith-hell, I look terrific!"

"Indeed. But I believe you should modify your language."

"Oops." A faint blush of color tinted the unblemished cheeks. "Guess I shouldn't use Sith anymore as a, um--"

"Curse. You are correct."

"What do we use instead?" the boy asked, mischief sparkling brightly in his eyes. "Jedi-hell?"

Anakin chuckled. "You will find that as a Sith, you will have very little to curse about so your habit of using such language will gradually vanish."

"Oh." The boy whirled around in front of the mirror, then faltered. His body twisted, and he looked over his shoulder at the reflection of his back with uncertainty on his face.

Anakin stepped forward and released the ties at the neck of his son's long tunic. The silky fabric slipped off Luke's shoulders, and he tightened his grip on the boy’s upper arms. "Look," he commanded.

Luke's head twisted around again. His eyes widened as he craned his neck to study the smooth skin of his back. "They-- they're gone!" he exclaimed incredulously. "My scars-- they're gone!"

"Yes." With infinite tenderness, he pulled the boy close against his chest and stroked his hair. "All your scars will be healed, my son. You are Home. You are safe now and forevermore."

His son was secure with him, and his son had brought a measure of safety to Lord Skywalker himself. The Skywalker line was protected and extended. There would be no break in Sith's continuity. Soon he would have the boy bonded, and the next generation of Skywalkers would begin to appear.

Sith was protected once more.

# # #

"Who are these people?" Luke asked anxiously as he lengthened his stride to keep pace with his father. "Neighbors? Leaders? Friends of yours?" 

"Yes," Anakin replied tersely.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, they are all those things. Must you ask so many questions?"

"Yes," he answered with a grin. "Why are we going to someone else's house instead of having them over? Why are we walking? Why haven't I seen any speeders? Why don't the towns have names? Does everyone know where everyone else lives? Don't the people of Sith ever--"

Anakin Skywalker came to a dead stop, and Luke overshot him by a few steps. He halted and looked back. The look on his father's face was one of total bemusement.

"After the last few days, I thought you would have no questions left."

"I have lots of questions! Everything is so different here--"

"And all your questions will be answered. In time. Not all at once. Please have patience, Luke."

"I'm sorry." They resumed their quick pace, climbing to the top of a low hill. A pleasant, well-lit home appeared in the valley below. "You seem nervous."

"I am...anxious."

"But these people are your friends."

"Yes. But I am also responsible to them for the safety of Sith. To them I owe a report on my progress."

"Progress?" He wanted to stop again, to have all the answers before they reached the house, but his father never paused. "Progress on what?" 

"It will all--"

"Be explained. Okay."

This time his father stopped and squeezed his shoulder. "I realize that you are in what is for you an alien environment. I am sorry that it must seem so frustrating. But you will have all the answers eventually. Tonight's dinner is more than a social occasion. I will report on the status of Outside, on how that affects Sith. And, even more importantly, it is a historic occasion-- the presentation of the next generation of Skywalkers." Pride swelled in Anakin's voice as he looked at his son. "They will be most pleased with you." He began walking again.

"That's a relief," Luke muttered uncertainly. Now he had more questions than ever. If his father was the leader of the Siths, to whom was he reporting? And if he was the leader, why didn't he stay planetside? He didn't bother to voice any of his concerns; all his life people had been telling him to be patient. Maybe it was time that he took their advice and waited and watched and listened.

They approached the house. It was built of the same large rocks as the Skywalker manse, and it too was probably centuries old. Luke instinctively liked it. "Who--?" He bit his lip.

His father chuckled. "You are permitted to ask. It is the home of Dev Starsinger, my closest friend. He always hosts my Thirdnight."

Thirdnight. This was all too much for his prosaic Tatooine upbringing. These people, this planet-- too esoteric, too cryptic, too… weird. He clenched his hands behind his back, suddenly nervous. Until this moment he hadn't considered his role in tonight's events, but apparently his father thought him a key player. And so would these strangers. Would they like him? Would they approve? He was so different, he hadn't been brought up properly, would he say the wrong thing, use the wrong fork? Did he look like them? Would they recognize him as a Sith?

"Your anxieties are needless," Anakin murmured as they mounted the stairs.

"Will they know my thoughts as easily as you do?" The notion filled him with despair. 

"No. Father and son share a special bond."

Those few words went a long way in soothing his worries. Luke smiled and felt himself begin to relax even though the door was flung open before they could knock.

"Anakin!" With the single word, the man threw both arms around his father and embraced him. "Welcome Home!" 

"Dev." There was fondness in his father's tone, and Luke smiled faintly. "Thank you. It is good to see you again."

"Come in, come in." Dev Starsinger stared sharply at Luke. "Come, young one, let me have a look at you." But as they entered the spacious foyer, he immediately turned back to Anakin. "I can't believe it! A son! It's a miracle, a true miracle."

"Indeed it is. Let me present you formally." Anakin put his arm around his son's shoulders. "My son, Luke Skywalker. Luke, this is Dev Starsinger. He will be as good and true a friend to you as he has been to me for so many years."

Luke studied the other man as they shook hands. Dev was probably about his father's age-- mid-forties-- with steel grey hair and eyes like bottomless black cavities. He was of medium height-- which was a relief, since Luke had worried that most Siths were the size of his father-- and was built rangy but proportionately. He decided the man's gaze was what he liked best about him; it was solid and honest, despite the intimidating color of the eyes. He could see no deceit in their cool depths. Still, he shifted uncomfortably under the intense scrutiny with which the man studied him, as if he were reading all the secrets of his life.

"Welcome, young Luke. I am pleased that you were found and brought Home, both for your sake--and your father's." With the last words, Dev shot a look of outright affection at Anakin. "Congratulations. I suppose it's years too late for a Birth Celebration?"

Anakin laughed. "It is not customary for the son to appear at his own Birth Celebration, and somehow I cannot imagine Luke allowing me to attend it without him. He can be quite stubborn," he added with a hint of boastfulness.

"Not unlike his father," Dev teased. He stepped between them and took their arms, guiding them down a wide hall. "Everyone is waiting. Tomorrow we can spend time together. My family is not here tonight, Luke, but you will meet them soon. Oh, damn, if only Alida hadn't bonded with the Windseeker boy! What a pair the two of you would have made!"

Luke swallowed. The first of his father's friends already wanted him bonded. Even his father had mentioned it. How could he tell them that he'd never even-- well, he couldn't, so what could he use an excuse not to bond? He could scarcely face a female, let alone begin producing young on demand.

The evening passed in a blur of new names and faces and voices. He could barely keep up with the conversation because everyone seemed to talk over one another. In fact, they didn't wait for him to answer one question before another was aimed at him. And his alertness wasn't helped by the potent wine that made his eyelids heavy. He stifled a yawn and peered around the room for a chron. There were none. Maybe time wasn't important to Siths.

Though he tried to prevent it, eventually his lids fell closed. Lulled by the low murmurs and the warmth of the fire that blazed in the hearth near his chair, he fell into an exhausted sleep.

Eventually he was roused by a persistent touch. Forcing his eyes open, he focused them on his father. Anakin Skywalker knelt beside his chair, holding his arm, the other hand stroking his forehead. There was so much affection displayed both in the face and in the gesture that Luke felt a sudden rush of happiness catch in his throat. He smiled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Rest can be very tiring, my son. Particularly when it is your first one. I’ll take you home and send you straight to bed." 

"Your friends?" He straightened and looked quickly around the room. They were alone.

"Left. Dev is waiting to bid you good night. Come."

As he said farewell to their host and stumbled after his father, Luke wondered what he'd missed that evening. He hadn't heard any of the report his father was supposed to make. A faint suspicion wandered into his mind. Had they plied him with wine for this very purpose, to dull his senses so he wouldn't understand what was happening?

The notion made him feel faintly traitorous, and he banished it from his thoughts. He was a Skywalker, a Sith Lord, and he accepted that as the truth. How could he deny it? As for being a Jedi-- he no longer knew what it meant or if he was one. Where was the enormous difference in philosophies that he'd expected? On the other hand, what was the Sith philosophy? All he remembered was what his father had said about Sith wanting to rule the galaxy. But when they had this paradise, why would they care about the rest of the galaxy? What could possibly equal the glory and contentment of life on Sith?

But if it was so glorious, why did his father continue to leave it?

Questions. Patience. He had a surplus of one and a serious shortage of the other.


End file.
